Happy Ruby Anniversary
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=kernel&p=image&src=%7B%22file%22%3A%22wp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2FRed-EPH-Logo-3.jpg%22%2C%22thumbnail%22%3A%22auto%2C%2C%22%7D&hash=1c34f6e7)
1980 to 2020
Ruby-red is a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange): the color of rubies or blood or cherries.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1893-Johns-Paint.jpg)
1893 trade card for H.W. Johns paint
Red of all hues is a signature color for a wide range of ephemera.
Red is the color of Santa Claus (thank you Thomas Nast) and there-fore of Christmas.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1938-Beer-Santa-Budweiser.jpg)
1938 advertising mailer for Budweiser beer
And has been Coca Cola’s signature since the 19th century.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1930s-Coca-Cola.jpg)
1930s folder for ice-cold Coca Cola in Germany
Red is the trademark color for businesses such as Esso (now Exxon).
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1950s-Esso.jpg)
Advertising tokens from Esso in the 1950s
Cornell is just one of the universities known for its Crimson.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Cornell-Ribbon.jpg)
Ribbon (“Egyptienne Luxury” “Factory no.7 3rd District State NY”)
Red accompanies blue in patriotic & political ephemera.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1884-Boston-Fair.jpg)
1884 advertising card for a Boston exposition (Forbes Co.)
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1940-Yanks.jpg)
1940 gummed anti-war label
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1920-Election.jpg)
1920 election predicting card
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1898-Montreal-Hotel.jpg)
1898 pre-stamped card advertising a Montreal hotel while extolling the Royal Red En-sign, the country’s unofficial flag before 1965
Red as a particular color appears in advertising for paint.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1920s-Detroit-Floor-Enamel.jpg)
1920s folder with paint chips (“Tile Red”) for Trus-Con Laboratories, Detroit
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1928-Boston-Varnish.jpg)
1928 Boston Varnish Co. booklet promoting the painting of old furniture (“Rich Red”)
Red as a dye is promoted for fabric.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1920s-Cloth.jpg)
1920s fabric swatches for Pacific Mill Pamico Cloth (Red “523”)
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1941-Stop-Red-Jacket.jpg)
1941 flyer for Camel Spun jackets, by Philip of Chicago (“Stop Red” for women)
Red crayon is a must for advertising coloring books.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1920s-Crayola.jpg)
1920s Crayola drawing book, Binney & Smith Co.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1925-Regensteiner.jpg)
1925 Genuine Drawing Book by the Regensteiner Corp (Colortype)
In Hungarian cafés in the 1930s, waiters tallied on advertising chits: printed on inexpensive paper, most used red as an eye-catching detail.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1930s-Hungarian-Champagne.jpg)
Littke L sparkling wine
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1930s-Meinl-Coffee-Bakács-Aartist.jpg)
Meinl coffee (artist Bakács)
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1930s-Cigarettes-Bereczky-Artist.jpg)
Nikotex cigarettes (artist Bereczky)
Red is hard to ignore.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1930s-Sabena-Luggage-Label.jpg)
Luggage label to promote the Belgian airline Sabina 1920s route to Paris
Red highlights timeless design: a 1929 poster stamp inspires a 2008 magazine cover.
![](https://www.ephemerasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1929-Poster-Stamp.jpg)